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Friday, March 8, 2013

In Marriage There Is No Love Without Respect

I just read the article in yesterday’s Daily Mail (UK) by British reality TV contestant, Katie Hopkins about her husband. I laughed out loud when she wrote that everything I said in my recent Daily Mail feature about my formula for a long-lasting marriage was tosh! First of all she doesn't know me and has never met me. My friends will tell you that I am opinionated, outspoken and very independent. I tell everyone what I think whether they like it or not, and that includes my husband Bob. What I was explaining in the piece I wrote for the Daily Mail last Saturday was that I think that respect and good manners are terribly important in the most intimate relationship of all – a marriage.

If you are going to be nasty to each other, why stay married? Katie Hopkins says she adores her husband. So do I – adore Bob – and he deserves it. He loves me, spoils me, protects me, defends me and manages my career. And yes, he too can be difficult, argumentative, and somewhat bossy. That’s why I call his Bismarck! Nobody is perfect but I believe that being nice to people you love is tremendously important whether that is your husband, a relative or a friend. I’m not sure what’s wrong with that although Katie Hopkins seems to think there is. The world we live in today is worse than it has even been and dangerous. It is also full of a lot of unkind, destructive, and anti-social people who make life miserable for everyone, especially their families. It’s bad enough our there without creating unnecessary conflict in the home. For the record, I don’t bite my tongue, I don’t creep around Bob, and I don’t keep the peace if I think it is necessary to say what I think. And bringing ‘generation’ into it is a load of tosh! It’s nothing to do with how old you are, it’s to do with character.Barbara Taylor Bradford OBE

5 comments:

Thank you for sharing your wisdom on having a happy marriage. I fully support your view, although I am young. I was born in Central Asia and perhaps the respect for men in general and the importance of sincere respect to one's husband is in my geans. Yes, when needed I can be tough and tell what I think, but I do try to catch myself doing so over non-important issues - and in the end of the day, oh, so many of them are of little importance! And then I am very happy I held my temper and put relationship, respect, and peace as my number one priority!

May God bless your husband and you with many more years of activity, strong health, happiness and joy!

Using this wonderful opportunity, may I send you the sincerest best wishes and love from my mother, who adores your books - they helped her through many a difficult times! Do know that you have a lot of fans in my part of the world: Uzbekistan's capital, Tashkent (that's in Central Asia, former Soviet Union).

You have always been my favorite author and the one I mention to friends. My husband and I have been married for 40 years, I can't imagine wanting to live with someone that long if I didn't truly respect and admire him. Married lives should be shared and you should be each others top priority in life...how can that happen without respect. I agree with you completely but if Katie can be happy living with someone she doesn't even respect... good luck to her.

Thank you so much for your wonderful books, I just finished reading "Letter from a Stranger" and loved it so much.Cheers, Jean

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About Me

Barbara Taylor Bradford, OBE is one of the world's best loved storytellers. Her 1979 debut novel, A Woman of Substance, ranks as one of the top-ten bestselling books of all-time, with more than 32 million copies in print. All 27 of her novels to date have been major worldwide bestsellers. Her 28th book, SECRETS FROM THE PAST, will be published in 2013.
Bradford was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire (UK) as the only child of Freda and Winston Taylor.
Bradford's books have sold more than 86 million copies worldwide in more than 90 countries and 40 languages. Ten of her books have been made into miniseries and television movies.
In April of 2003, Mrs. Bradford was inducted into the Writers Hall of Fame of America alongside Mark Twain, Langston Hughes and Dr. Seuss. She was awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II in the Queen's 2007 Birthday Honours list for her contributions to literature. Her original manuscripts are archived at the Brotherton Library at Leeds University, alongside the works of the Bronte sisters. She lives in New York City with her husband, of 44 years, television producer Robert Bradford.
Official website: www.barbarataylorbradford.com.